Trying to change to a better dog food. Buddy was on Iams Puppy Large Breed - dry when I got her. Have had for two months and I would like to change to a better dog food. She loves the Iams. Got a stomach bug and allergic reaction in the same week and I had to feed her boiled chicken and rice. The vet came me a bag of Iams - Gastro to help during her stomach bug/allergic reaction. I don't know if her two problems where cause my food. I think she got stung by a bee/wasp and had a allergic reaction (nose swollen up, hives, scratching, etc) to it. Also, I have tried wet dog food while she was teething, didn't touch it.

Did the research and I would like to put her on Wellness. I think this is the best for her breed (half chocolate lab/half golden retreiver). She is still teething and I have tried some sample packs of Wellness in her food with the Iams. Not going so well. I think the Wellness might be harder than the Iams. She just recently started to eat it out of my hand with the Wellness, didn't before. I had to actually pretend to eat it, so I could get her to eat a little bit of it.

She is a picky eater and often will not eat her treats that are in crate until I am home. She will not touch human food if left on the table, except if it is steak or pork tenderloin.

Any ideas of how to get her to eat the better food? Or sure I tried another type of food?

kathryn

October 2nd, 2008, 10:57 PM

Try this

http://www.innovapet.com/products/default.asp?id=1259

See if your pup likes that instead. Otherwise, I'm a cat person, I can't really help you out that much :o I thought dogs ate anything you put infront of them. Are you sure she's a dog and not a cat? :p

ec140466

October 3rd, 2008, 03:06 AM

First of all Good job on changing to another dog food. Wellness is a really good dog for I am currently feeding my new puppy the "wellness puppy" food. He does like it a lot and I'm liking how good his coat is starting to turn out. If you didn't know already wellness also has a large puppy formula in a blue bag and it is a great food as well. It sounds to me like you are doing is what I was doing to my puppy when I first got him, trying to make him eat.I n this sense you are creating a picky eater. I would slowly introduce the new food mixing 80/20, 70/30, and so on until you are totally on the new food. As you are going through this process put the food down for about 15 minutes and if he doesn't eat it pick it back up. Then wait until dinner time or his next feeding time and put it down again for 15 minutes, if he doesn't eat it then pick it back up. He may go for a day or two without eating but he will eventually get hungry enough and start have to eat. I know its hard to see your puppy not eating but by hand feeding him, etc. you are somewhat creating a dog who will become picky for the rest of his life. Good luck!

kandy

October 3rd, 2008, 12:38 PM

You might try wetting the Wellness down just a bit - sometimes that makes it more appealing for the dog.

I believe the Iams has a much higher sugar content, so that may be why the Wellness doesn't taste as good to him.

laura3278

October 3rd, 2008, 08:10 PM

This is the third or fourth day tried the wellness out. I have tried the wellness for puppies in the yellow package and the rice and duck formula as well. She prefers the puppy mixture. The pet store thought she might be picky because of allergies to food. They also came me another sample, but I forget what type.

I will ask about the puppy large breed formula. Unfortunately, I live in a rural location and only one or two pet stores carried good quality food.

Tks for the info regarding the high sugar content in Iams. This would explain why she is so hype up in the evenings.

As for taking her food away - she has breakfast in the morning and they she goes in her crate for 6-7 hours with water & a couple of treats. I don't put a lot of food in there in case something freaky happens and she chokes while I am at work. Then, when I get home we play or go for a walk and she eats a bit. But, I find near bedtime she is starving, so I bring her dinner dish in with us.

rainbow

October 9th, 2008, 01:15 PM

laura3278, have you tried her on Orijen? (http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/products/)